1. Field of Invention
This invention relates generally to play balls for young children who are incapable of handling conventional athletic balls, and more particularly to a light-weight, inflatable play ball whose inner bladder is a conventional rubber balloon, yet the ball is of exceptional strength so that it may be subjected in play to rough handling.
2. Status of Prior Art
A standard football is of oval shape and is made of an inflatable, high strength inner bladder and an outer casing formed of heavy leather, rubber or flexible plastic material. The bladder is provided wit a valve so that it can be inflated with air, the valve automatically closing to retain the air in the bladder. Made in a similar fashion are spherical soccer balls, volley balls and basketballs.
In play, standard sports play balls of the pneumatic type are tossed, kicked and bounced, the balls being capable of withstanding very rough handling. While such balls are not regarded by adults as unduly heavy, they represent an intolerable load to a young child. Moreover, a standard inflatable athletic ball tends to produce a "hand sting." This effect arises when the ball which has a hard casing is caught by the bare hands while moving at high velocity.
To overcome this drawback, the Barton et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,256,019 incorporates cushioning in the outer casing of the inflated ball. But this cushioning does not reduce the weight of the ball.
While small children are attracted to conventional athletic balls and enjoy watching adults play soccer, football and other ball games, in the hands of a small child these athletic balls are heavy and dangerous, especially in indoor play. The standard inflated athletic ball has a relatively large diameter and a smooth, hard outer casing which makes it very difficult for a small child to grasp, throw and catch.
The toy and game industry has long recognized the need for a lighter, softer and potentially less dangerous ball for young children. Thus, balls in various shapes and sizes are now commercially available which are molded of polyurethane foam material and other light-weight compressible plastics. While such balls are safe in the hands of pre-school children and will inflict no harm even if the ball is hurled toward the body of another child, they fail in many respects to satisfy the typical child's desire for a ball that looks like a real athletic ball of the type used by adults, and is not an unconvincing substitute therefor.
To give a simple analogy, children enjoy playing with toy guns whose form and general appearance simulate those used in actual combat. But if a child were given a stick and told to pretend that this was a gun, he would not enjoy playing cops and robbers. By the same token, a small child who would like to play with a football wishes to have a ball that at least looks like a football and behaves like a football.
The soft play balls described in the Wexler U.S. Pat. No. 4,738,450 are provided with an outer casing and an inner core of shredded fibrous material. But such balls, while they look like a standard athletic ball, lack pneumatic characteristics and do not bounce.
Another practical drawback of a conventional inflatable play ball such as a football is that it cannot be collapsed, flattened out and folded to form a compact package. If, therefore, one wishes to take a conventional play ball to a park or beach for use by children, one must carry the ball in its inflated condition. This presents a problem if the parents accompanying the children are already loaded with folding chairs, picnic baskets and other articles appropriate to the occasion.